Collapsible egg crate



' Oct. 29, 1957 R. E. DRAPER COLLAPSIBLE EGG CRATE Filed July 29 1954 INVENTOR. Roy E. DRA PER @am, W,M+ 3ma,

AWORNEYS.

United States Patent COLLAPSIBLE; EGG Roy DmnenAlhiomN- 3!- Application July 29 .1954, SerialNo. 446;511

1.Claim. ((31.- 220147.)

This invention relates to a receptacle, and particularly to a foldable or collapsible shipping receptacle ofthe eggcrate type. l

The problem of packing eggs for .bulk shipment from the packer to the distributor or retailer presents two very important and well-known objections which up to now have found no practical and economical solution. One of" these objections is the considerable space thatconventiona l eggcrates occupy after theircontents have. been removed and while they are being return shipped for re-use. The second objection is the relatively :shor-tdife of conventional egg crates in proportion to their initial cost.

Egg crates 'of more permanent construction and of a foldable or collapsible nature have previously been suggested and contemplated but those proposed in the prior art have not been suitable for their intended purpose from the practical standpoint and none of them have met with any commercial acceptance or usage.

The present invention provides a sheet metal egg crate of a foldable or collapsible type, the design and construction of which is such as to make it convenient to use and economical and commercially practical, having in mind the original cost of the receptacle as compared with the number of shipping and return trips for which a given receptacle may be used.

The present invention resides in certain novel features of construction which will become apparent from a consideration of the embodiment of the present invention which is set forth in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing. While a complete and specific form of the present invention is thus set forth herein by way of example, it is to be understood that the principles of the invention are not limited excepting as defined in the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a general perspective view of one form of the receptacle of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar perspective view of the receptacle of Fig. 1 but in a partially folded or collapsed condition;

Fig. 3 is a similar perspective view showing the receptacle of Figs. 1 and 2 fully folded or collapsed;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on the line IVIV of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end elevational view taken as indicated by the line V-V of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end elevational view taken as indicated by the line VTVI of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken as indicated by the line VIIVII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary top plan view of the device; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the device viewed as indicated by the line IX-IX of Fig. 8.

Like characters of reference denote like parts throughout the several figures of the drawing and the bottom or base member of the device is designated generally by the 2, numeral 10. Such bottom or base member l0 comprisesa fiat metallic bottom portionhaving end flanges and side flanges 12 which cooperate to form a shallow rec tangular tray. The upper longitudinal edges of -the side andendflangesll and 12 are providedwith-hingeformations for hinged connection with the lower edges ofendz walls 13 and side walls 14.

When the receptacle is in set-up position and ready-foruse the end and side walls 13' and 14 comprise upward eontinuations of the end and side flanges 11 and '1-2 of'-' the bottom member 10. Novel means are provided for attaching the end and side walls 13 and 14to each other; to maintain them in their desired upright position toform a rectangular receptacle of substantial depth and such means will now be described.

I-lorizontal rods 18 extend along the upper portion of each of the end walls 13 and terminateattheir opposite ends in inwardly; directed pintleportions 19* as clearly shown in Fig. 7. Theinner surfacesofthe side walls 14 are provided at their upper opposite corners with fixed U-shaped' clip members 20 which provide horizontal: grooves orchannels for receiving the pintle portions "19.

The end walls 13 are moved pivotally inwardly to introduce the pintles 19'into the clip members '20 and, as clearly appears from Fig.7, such inward pivotal movement; is definitely limited bythe pintle and clip arrangement. This assembly likewise fixedly determines the spacing of the upper end portions of the side wall members 14.

To maintain the pintle and clip assembly against disassembling movement, strap members 24 extend across the outer sides of the end members 13. The strap members 24 are pivoted at one end to one of the side wall members 14 as at 25 and are detachably connected to the opposite side wall 14 by means of pintle members 26 shown in detail in Fig. 6, The detachable ends of the strap members 24 are bifurcated and curled as at 27 to form bearings for the attaching pintles 26. The side walls .14 adjacent to such pintle attachments are provided with bearing formations 30 and 31 for receiving the upper and lower ends of the attaching pintles 26.

It will thus be noted that the upper portions of the end walls 13 are held inwardly by the strap members 24 to retain the pintle and clip assemblies 19, 20 secure against detachment. In the form illustrated the side wall spacing is further maintained by a central rod 32 which is pivoted to one of the side walls 14 as at 33 and has a depending terminal portion which detachably fits into a clip 34 secured to the upper medial portion of the opposite Side wall 14.

The upper edges of the end walls 13 are flanged out wardly as at 38 and a cover member 40 is provided which has downwardly return bent flange formations 41 at its opposite ends whereby the cover member is horizontallv slid onto the receptacle with the return bent flanges 41 extending about the end flanges 38. It will be noted that the cover member secures the end walls 13 against any possible outward movement, so that the strap members 24 serve, in a sense, as temporary means of securing the end members 13 in assembled position when the cover member 40 is not in position. At any rate, any accidental detachment of the pintle connection 26 after the cover member is in position cannot result in disassembly or collapse of the container.

After the contents of the container have been removed and it is desired to fold the same for return and re-use, the strap members 24 and rod 32 are detached and folded along their respective side walls, the pintles 19 are disassembled from the clips 20 by slight outward movement of the end walls 13, and the latter are hinged inwardly to the position clearly shown in Fig. 2 where they lie in,

the tray formed by the bottom member 10 and flanges 11' as it is placed in assembled position on the flanges 38 in the case of the set-up box.

The end walls 13 are provided with hand holds 50 and the lower medial portion of each of the strap members 24 is formed inwardly to engage under the upper margin of each hand hold 50 as indicated at 51 in Figs. 4 and 5. These formations 51 provide convenient and smooth grasping surfaces for lifting the crates.

The upper hinge formations of the bottom flanges 11 and 12 lie in a common horizontal plane and the flanges 45 of the end flanges 11 are so positioned that cover member 40 lies flat against the end and side hinges when the receptacle is in the collapsed or folded condition illustrated in Fig. 3. This provides a secure and rugged structure which is not easily damaged and which permits stacking of an indefinite number of folded or collapsed crates without damage to them.

If desired the cover member or both the cover member and the bottom member may be provided with anti-skid or nesting protuberances or depressions to prevent slipping or sliding of one crate when it is resting on another.

What is claimed is:

A collapsible crate comprising a rectangular bottom wall and side and end flanges extending rigidly upwardly therefrom, pairs of side and end Walls hinged to the upper ends of said flanges, one of said pairs of walls having outstanding flanges along their upper edges, and a cover member having downwardly return bent flanges adapted to interfit with said outstanding flanges by lengthwise sliding movement, interfitting means at the upper corners of said crate limiting inward hinging movement of said end walls, strap members at opposite ends of said crate each hinged at one end toa vertical edge of one of said side walls and detachably connected at its other end to the corresponding vertical edge of the other side wall and adapted to extend along the outside of the adjacent end wall to retain the same when the crate is in erected condition, and flange formations at the bottom edges of said strap members to form handle members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

